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For Release — December 30, 2014

The Business Council issued the following statements today on key legislation reviewed by Governor Cuomo:

Wage Theft Prevention Act Reform

“All private sector employers in New York will get welcome relief under the “wage theft” reform bill signed yesterday by Governor Cuomo,” said Ken Pokalsky, Vice President. This bill – S.5885-B (Savino)/A.8106-C (Heastie) - repeals a mandate that employers, each January, provide all of their in-state employees with a written notice that includes company, wage rate and other information, and obtain from each employee their signature certifying receipt of the notice. This annual notice largely replicates information that is also required to be on each and every pay stub issued during the prior year. “Our members saw this as a costly and unnecessary compliance burden that provided no real benefit to workers, and fixing it has been one of our legislative priorities,” Pokalsky added. “As part of this reform bill, we also supported Labor Law changes to help protect employees through improved wage law compliance and enhanced enforcement in cases of wage theft.” Importantly, the Administration made clear that the Department of Labor will not require annual notices in 2015, citing an agreement with the legislature to move up the reform’s effective date.

Brownfield Cleanup Program

"The Business Council strongly support's New York's brownfield program, which is a proven, cost-effective program for urban revitalization and should not be placed in jeopardy. The veto of legislation extending brownfield tax credits through April 2017 creates significant uncertainty for potential developers and investors interested in new projects," said Ken Pokalsky, Vice President. "To date, the program has leveraged nearly $7 billion in private sector investment in the cleanup and redevelopment of contaminated sites, and has returned nearly $10 in private investment for every $1 of tax credit. Despite this veto, we remain committed to passing a long-term program extension in the 2015 session, and look forward to working with stakeholders who share our goal of maintaining this valuable program."